Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun announced on Thursday that the recent presidential directive to withdraw police personnel from protecting Very Important Persons (VIPs) is part of a strategic realignment aimed at enhancing frontline policing and safeguarding vulnerable communities nationwide.
Egbetokun made these comments during a press briefing in Abuja, where he met with senior police commanders.
He emphasized that the decision to recall officers from VIP security was not based on sentiment but rather a critical response to the need for increased manpower in areas where public safety is most at risk.
This move, he stated, is in line with the core mandate of the Nigeria Police Force, which focuses on protecting citizens, communities, and maintaining public order.
Egbetokun cautioned that the implementation of the directive to withdraw police from VIP duties would be closely monitored to avoid misinformation, impersonation, or exploitation by criminal elements. Detailed guidelines for this transition will be issued shortly.
“The withdrawal is not a retreat from responsibility, but a reclamation of it,” he asserted.
He noted that recent security incidents, including abductions in Kwara, Kebbi, and Niger states, have underscored the necessity of repositioning the force to bolster visibility and deterrence throughout the country.
While acknowledging that security agencies have responded swiftly to these incidents, Egbetokun recognized that they have led some to perceive that the police were not doing enough. “We may not be doing enough, but it is not that we are not working. We are indeed taking action. However, as leaders, we must hold ourselves to a higher standard,” he remarked.
The IGP highlighted that the police force has recorded significant operational successes in recent weeks, including the apprehension of 8,202 suspects for various offenses and the rescue of 232 kidnapping victims.
He elaborated, “The Nigerian Police Force has achieved multiple operational outcomes across strategic formations and tactical response structures, resulting in the arrest of 451 armed robbery suspects, 356 kidnapping suspects, 534 murder suspects, 129 culpable homicide suspects, 173 individuals for unlawful possession of firearms, 312 suspected rapists, and 282 suspected cultists. Additionally, 6,094 other suspects were arrested for serious offenses.”
Egbetokun also reported the recovery of 249 firearms, nearly 21,000 rounds of ammunition, and 238 vehicles.
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